Pencil drawing by Ron and digital line drawings by Alexander van Maanen
On stocks at the Maatschappij Fijenoord at Rotterdam, Netherlands on 1 November 1897, launched in 1898 and commissioned on 15 July 1900. Her dimensions were 94,70 x 14,82 x 5,40 metres and her displacement 4.033 tons. Building costs and first fitting out 3,048,000 Dutch guilders, The two engines and 12 Yarrow boilers supplied 9,867 hp while driving two screws allowing a speed of 20,05 miles. The coal bunker capacity was 850 tons. The original armament consisted of 2-15cm guns, 6-12cm guns, 6-7.5cm guns, 4-3,7cm guns, 2-7,5cm mortars, 2 torpedo tubes and 2 torpedo guns. In 1912 were 2-12cm guns remvoed, 3 years laer 2 anti aircraft guns added. Between 1920 and 1939 serving as gunnery training ship. For this purpose was her armament again changed into 4-15cm guns and 8-7,5cm guns. In 1922 again changed into 10-12cm guns, 2-7,5cm guns, 4-3,7cm guns, 1-7,5cm mortars and 2 machineguns. Her original crew numbered 325 men.
Disarmed and lying laid up 14 May 1940 at the naval yard at Den Helder when Germany invaded the Netherlands, seized and rebuilt by C. van der Giessen&Zn. at Krimpen a.d IJssel as the German“Schwimmende Flakbatterie schiffe“ Niobe and sunk on 16 July 1944 in the Finnish Gulf near the Finnish harbou Kotka by a Russian air attack. The wreck was after the Second World War in 1947 raised by the Finns and broken up in 1952-1953. The wreck was offered by the Finns to the Dutch government which however didn't accept this order.
Armament as Niobe 8x1-10,5cm guns, 4x1-4cm guns and 4x4-2cm machine guns.
The Gelderland was the Dutch warship which brought Paul Kruger from South-Africa to Europe, an initiative of queen Wilhelmina despite the possibility of causing damage to the Anglo-Dutch relations.
